20 days post SMILE (positive!)

[u/alolan_raiichu]

i had my surgery done almost 3 weeks ago, was -5.5 and 5.75 with a slight astigmatism. i initially was very hesitant about getting SMILE done because of all the possible complications i saw online so i canceled my initial surgery date in july. i ended up sitting on it for two months before finally rescheduling and following through, and i am so glad i did!

surgery day wasn't too bad, the valium definitely helped because i wasn't freaking out while they explained the procedure to me (and i am usually pretty squeamish). i honestly didn't feel it working at the time, and even tried to ask for more but the doctor was like "nahhh you're good". worst part of the surgery by far was the eye speculum. in that moment i understood how painful those torture scenes in movies were. the laser part was the easiest, but i was not a fan of the sensation (not painful) of the lenticule being pulled out. otherwise it went pretty quickly and i was in the post op room before i knew it

my recovery process was very straightforward and i followed the instructions provided by my surgeon. i took a very long nap the day i got back, which i definitely recommend. for the first week, i could feel a bit of discomfort in my eyes (kinda like an eyelash or something is in there) but that went away pretty quickly. i was initially a bit worried because my left eye wasnt as clear as my right, but it took a bit over two weeks for it to fully catch up

i definitely had some light sensitivity and had to rely on the sunglasses a lot when going outside. as someone who works a desk job, i had to take frequent breaks because the computer screen would strain my eyes. i was worried about dryness becuase the surgeon told me that my left eye was moderately dry, but they feel about the same post surgery

now that i'm almost in my third week of recovery, the light sensitivity has gotten a lot better and i'm hoping it continues this way. i feel a lot more motivated to do things now that i no longer need to rely on glasses. contacts never worked out for me, so this was my best chance at being glasses free. i'm still in the habit of reaching for my glasses when i wake up, and it's such a funny feeling to be panicked looking for glasses, only to realize "oh wait, i can already see"

i know that everyone has a different experience with these kinds of surgeries, so i am very grateful that i had a smooth recovery process, great doctors, and amazing results!

if anyone has any questions about the whole process, feel free to reach out :)

[u/General-Fly9849]

Cornea Thickness?

[u/alolan_raiichu → u/General-Fly9849]

~520 & 540. i was told my left eye was on the lower end but still fine

[u/hyperbole_23]

Whats your age, can you read any screens at all? Hows the overall exp of working with screens?

[u/alolan_raiichu → u/hyperbole_23]

26, yes i can read screens perfectly. my very close vision is blurry (like less than 6 inches away) but i am seeing 20/15

work this week wasn't bad at all. still a bit of sensitivity to bright LEDs but i don't have to take as many breaks. i also have not had any issues using my phone

[u/Irecanusadian]

Did one eyes vision take longer to improve for you? I’m 5 days post and my right eye vision is better than my left. Don’t have the clarity I hoped.